Hearts Open to the Word

On Independence Day weekend, we are bombarded with messages about patriotism, but for Christians, the line between a healthy love of country and dangerous, idolatrous nationalism can be incredibly delicate. This week, we dig into Daniel chapter 6—the familiar story of the lions' den—to uncover a profound act of subversive faith. Discover how we can rescue the word "patriotism" from t...

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the crushing weight of systemic oppression, or noticed how society tends to push its most difficult problems "out of sight, out of mind" beneath the floorboards? As we prepare to celebrate Juneteenth, Pastor Charissa explores the terrifying reality of the Gerasene demoniac and the occupying "Legion" that torments him. Discover why Jesus refuses...

What happens when stepping into the beautiful truth of your God-given identity costs you your entire safety net? Pastor Charissa explores the terrifying leap of faith it takes to leave our familiar origins behind. Looking at an ancient patriarch's journey into the unknown, we discover a profound challenge for the church today to become a new, radical community of grace for those who have lost...

Do you ever find yourself preferring a domesticated, predictable faith over one that pushes you out of your comfort zone? Why is it so terrifying to truly listen to people who are completely different from us? This Pentecost, Pastor Charissa challenges our tendency to stay in our safe silos and demand that others learn our "Christianese" to belong. We explore how the Holy Spirit breaks i...

The scripture passage for May 17, 2026 (Ascension Sunday) is Acts 1:6–14. The modern church often makes the exact same mistake as the disciples—paralyzed by anxiety, staring up at the empty sky, or fixating on the past because the unknown is terrifying. However, the Ascension is not an abandonment, but a mandate to mobilize. We are challenged to stop looking in the rearview mirror, let go of our n...

Are you frustrated by a church culture that demands conformity and hides behind exclusionary jargon? You aren't alone. Today, we live in a highly secular, pluralistic landscape full of deep spiritual hunger, yet the church often responds by hiding behind its walls or stepping out swinging. In this episode, Rev. Dr. Charissa Howe explores the Apostle Paul’s dramatic shift in strategy at the Are...

In this message for the Fifth Sunday of Easter, Rev. Dr. Charissa Clark Howe explores the counter-cultural imagery of  1 Peter 2:2–10 . We live in a world that builds monuments to the powerful and the victorious, and it is easy for the church to fall into the exhausting trap of trying to be a pristine monument made of perfectly polished bricks. But what happens when we realize our foundation is a...

In this message for the Fourth Sunday of Easter, Rev. Dr. Charissa Clark Howe reexamines the familiar words of Psalm 23 alongside Jesus' teaching of the Good Shepherd in John 10:1-10 . While "The Lord is my shepherd" is frequently read as a private, individualized comfort during times of personal grief, this sermon challenges listeners to expand their theological imagination. What ha...

On the Third Sunday of Easter, Rev. Dr. Charissa Clark Howe explores the familiar story of the Road to Emmaus in Luke 24:13–35 through the poetic framework of 19th-century Black and Indigenous activist Olivia Ward Bush-Banks. The fight against systemic injustice and the violence of the empire often leaves us carrying the heavy, traumatized weariness of modern-day martyrs, blinded to God's pres...

On the Second Sunday of Easter, we usually point the finger at "Doubting Thomas" for his skepticism. But in this message exploring John 20:19–31 , Rev. Dr. Charissa Clark Howe suggests taking Thomas off the hook and looking instead at the terrified disciples hiding behind dead-bolted doors. At a time when so many are walking away from the modern American church due to a disconnect betwee...

On Easter morning, the empty tomb isn't the final destination—it’s the starting line. In this Easter message, Rev. Dr. Charissa Clark Howe explores the world-shaking events of Matthew 28:1–10 and the surprising instructions given to the terrified but joyful women at the grave. Instead of lingering at the site of the miracle or marching to the halls of power in Jerusalem, the resurrected Jesus...

When confronted with the terrifying realities of the world, our deeply human instinct is to either scatter into isolation or draw our swords to fight. Yet, the cross calls us to an entirely different response. Preached during a joint Good Friday worship service with Church of the Redeemer, Rev. Dr. Charissa Clark Howe explores the tragedy of human isolation and the radical, non-anxious presence of...

Does it feel like you're living in a brewing storm right now? We are caught in a clash of temperatures—between the profound hope of seeing "real church work" happen and the exhausting, terrifying realities of a violent world pressing in. That same heavy, electric tension filled the air in Jerusalem on the very first Palm Sunday. In this week's message, Rev. Dr. Charissa Clark How...

Is a heavy stone of judgment or a deep resentment weighing you down? In a world filled with hostility, cancel culture, and sharp disagreements, it’s incredibly tempting to grip our stones tightly and use our "rightness" as a weapon. Join Rev. Dr. Charissa Clark Howe as we step into the tense, loud temple courtyard of John 8, where a self-righteous crowd has weaponized the law against a v...

If you grew up in Sunday School, you might picture Jesus blessing the children as a sweet, sentimental moment. But in the first-century world, children occupied one of the absolute lowest rungs of social status. In this week's episode, Rev. Dr. Charissa Clark Howe explores how Jesus’ command to “let the children come” wasn't just about childhood innocence—it was a radical, political demand...

It has been a heavy week. When we are confronted with horrifying headlines, global crises, and the escalating realities of war, our first human instinct is often to retreat, pull the covers over our heads, and tell the overwhelming crowds of the world to fend for themselves. In this week's episode, Rev. Dr. Charissa Clark Howe acknowledges our deep exhaustion and looks to the Feeding of the 5,...

What does it really mean when we invite someone in and say, "Make yourself at home"? Is it a sterile, performative greeting where we guard the decorative towels and point out the drink coasters, or is it a true welcome where guests know they can open the refrigerator without asking? On this Second Sunday of Lent, Rev. Dr. Charissa Clark Howe continues the "Tell Me Something Good&quo...

We often treat our faith and our institutions like a perfectly manicured lawn—exhausting ourselves to keep everything orderly, respectable, and predictable. But what happens when the wine runs out and our carefully cultivated resources fail?.On this First Sunday of Lent, Rev. Dr. Charissa Clark Howe explores the surprising nature of God’s Kingdom through the Wedding at Cana and the Parable of the...

On this Ash Wednesday, Rev. Dr. Charissa Clark Howe reflects on the Parable of the Great Dinner in Luke 14:15–24. When the comfortable and secure make excuses to avoid the feast, the host doesn't cancel the party—he expands the guest list to the streets and alleys. Too often, the modern church expends its energy fretting over empty pews and courting those who are already safe and full. But wha...

We often think of "mountaintop experiences" as spiritual highs, but in Scripture, they are usually terrifying. On this Transfiguration Sunday , Rev. Dr. Charissa Clark Howe explores Matthew 17:1–9 , where Peter reacts to the glory of God not with joy, but with a frantic desire to build tents—to freeze the holy moment and avoid the hard road ahead. Listen in to discover why God interrupts...

We often curate our spiritual lives like a social media feed—cropping out the mess to present a picture of perfect piety. But God isn't scrolling for likes; God is looking for justice. In this sermon on Isaiah 58:1–12 and Matthew 5:13–20 , Rev. Dr. Charissa Clark Howe confronts the trap of performative religion. Jesus calls us to be salt and light—elements that are useless if they stay in the...

Micah 6:8  is often treated as a comforting quote for a cross-stitch sampler, but in its original context, it is the dramatic verdict of a cosmic lawsuit where God pleads a case against humanity before the mountains. In this sermon, we explore why we are so tempted to offer God "ten thousand rivers of oil"—transactional sacrifices to buy our way out of guilt—rather than the intimacy of a...

When the headlines are heavy and the world feels overwhelming, it is validating to remember that even Jesus needed to withdraw after receiving bad news. But his retreat in Matthew 4:12–23 was not an escape; it was a strategic move to gather a community that could shine in the "deep darkness" prophesied in Isaiah 9:1–4 . Join us as we dismantle the myth of "pole fishing" spiritu...

When we are stuck in the "miry bog" of life's crises, patience feels impossible and the old songs of hope can feel worn out. Exploring Psalm 40:1–11 , this sermon challenges us to stop fighting the "quicksand" of our circumstances and instead trust in the God who has a history of lifting us from the pit. Join us as we learn how our past deliverance becomes a testimony for t...

"Those who would support the terrorization of anyone — especially the terrorization of the vulnerable and those who stand with the vulnerable — Those who would support that terror in the name of Christianity betray the baptism we are called into by the example of Jesus." We often confuse holiness with perfection, trying desperately to "fit in" to a world that makes unreasonable...